Episode 268: Axon Ads - How to Diversify Beyond Meta and Find New Customers
Release Date: 03/25/2026
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info_outlineEpisode 268: Axon Ads - How to Diversify Beyond Meta and Find New Customers
Episode Description
In this episode of the Smart Marketer Podcast, Molly Pittman is joined by Smart Marketer agency CEO Pep Hufen to break down Axon (also known as AppLovin), a fast-growing ad platform that is giving marketers a new way to diversify beyond Meta.
They walk through how the platform works, what makes it different from traditional social media advertising, and why it is becoming a powerful channel for acquiring net-new customers. From creative requirements and campaign setup to attribution differences and scaling strategies, this episode gives you a practical roadmap to start testing Axon in your own business.
If you are running ads for ecommerce, SaaS, info products, or local businesses, this episode will help you understand how to expand your paid traffic strategy and unlock new growth opportunities.
“The goal is not necessarily for you to replace Meta. The goal is to run advertising on both platforms. You want to have traffic diversification. You want to reach people that otherwise you wouldn’t be able to reach.” – Pep Hufen
You Will Learn
• Why Axon is emerging as a serious alternative for paid traffic diversification beyond Meta
• How the Axon ad experience differs from traditional social media platforms
• Why user psychology on gaming apps leads to higher attention and engagement
• How Axon attribution works and why it appears more conservative than Meta
• When to use ROAS optimization versus cost per purchase
• How to choose between day-zero and day-seven optimization windows
• What types of creative formats perform best on the platform
• How to structure your first campaign and creative sets for testing
• What to expect when launching and evaluating early performance
• How brands are scaling spend while acquiring a high percentage of new customers
Links & Resources
• Smart Marketer – https://smartmarketer.com
• Axon – https://smartmarketer.com/axon
• Omnisend – https://smartmarketer.com/omnisend (Use code SMART for 50% off your first three months)
• Thumbstop – https://smartmarketer.com/thumbstop
(Thumbstop Is Live. Get 50% Off For The First 3 Months. Use Code SMART50 At Checkout After Creating An Account.)
Time Stamps
00:00:15 – Introduction to Axon and expanding beyond Meta
00:01:08 – Ezra Firestone on OmniSend for email and SMS
00:02:13 – Molly introduces Axon and Pep Hufen
00:03:01 – Why Axon is a major opportunity for paid traffic
00:04:26 – What to expect from this training and roadmap
00:05:19 – How quickly you can launch campaigns on Axon
00:08:58 – What AppLovin is and how the platform started
00:10:21 – Why this is about diversification, not replacing Meta
00:11:33 – How Axon blends social media and TV-style ads
00:12:24 – The scale of mobile gaming audiences
00:14:08 – Conversion behavior and fast purchase cycles
00:15:16 – Attribution differences between Axon and Meta
00:17:39 – The three-part Axon ad experience explained
00:19:27 – Creative best practices and video requirements
00:22:17 – Why Axon delivers longer attention spans
00:24:20 – The psychology of users playing games vs scrolling
00:25:46 – What the interactive step is and how it works
00:26:51 – Using Thumbstop to create ad creatives
00:28:46 – Why gaming users are more relaxed and receptive
00:30:38 – How Axon’s AI model works differently
00:33:13 – Step-by-step campaign setup overview
00:35:53 – Choosing ROAS vs cost per purchase
00:39:15 – Universal vs prospecting campaigns
00:40:52 – Day-zero vs day-seven optimization
00:42:44 – Budgeting and data maturity expectations
00:46:17 – Structuring creative sets for testing
00:49:55 – Scaling strategies and creative expansion
00:53:33 – Budget timing and UTC considerations
00:54:36 – Axon credit offer and how to get started
00:55:26 – Case studies and real brand results
00:58:18 – Next steps and upcoming masterclass
00:59:28 – Catalog segmentation and targeting questions
01:03:53 – Live walkthrough of campaign setup
01:10:33 – Success rate across tested brands
01:11:35 – Offer types and landing page strategies
01:12:21 – Scaling campaigns effectively
01:14:17 – Final thoughts, resources, and tools
01:15:57 – Outro
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